Business Plan - Coworking project, Wiesbaden

H10 Co-working in wiesbaden

A Kaospilot businessplan

Made by: Adrian adler Lisa Beck Lui Rosenkrantz Troels Jensen Troels Vejby Client: The community at hallgarder strasse 10 & Grameen Creative lab with daniel Nowack as our contact person april/may 2011

Table of content Executive summary..........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................2-4 Our client and how we ended up in Wiesbaden............................................................................................2 Background for H10.............................................................................................................................................3 the location............................................................................................................................................................4 H10 the concept...............................................................................................................................................................5-11 The vision...................................................................................................................................................................5 Social business.......................................................................................................................................................5 Open Café & membership co-working area....................................................................................................5 Self service..............................................................................................................................................................5 Community based.....................................................................................................................................................6 Shared services......................................................................................................................................................6 Platform for sharing...........................................................................................................................................7 Facilities....................................................................................................................................................................7-10 Value propositions of h10.................................................................................................................................11 Market analysis...............................................................................................................................................................12-24 Competition..............................................................................................................................................................12 Partners...................................................................................................................................................................12 swot analysis.........................................................................................................................................................13 Global co-working...............................................................................................................................................15 Community ................................................................................................................................................................15 Co-workers needs................................................................................................................................................16 working routine.....................................................................................................................................................16 physical needs.......................................................................................................................................................17 needed in space......................................................................................................................................................17 Soft needs...............................................................................................................................................................17 Important to users...............................................................................................................................................17 External research Wiesbaden..........................................................................................................................12-20 facts..........................................................................................................................................................................17 The creative industry in Wiesbaden...............................................................................................................18 Different fields.....................................................................................................................................................18 Clustering................................................................................................................................................................19

Attractiveness of the region for creatives...........................................................................................20 Needs of target groups...................................................................................................................................21-24 The creative student.........................................................................................................................................21 The aspiring entrepreneur..............................................................................................................................22 The Freelancer....................................................................................................................................................22 Conclusion on market Analysis...................................................................................................................23 Budgets............................................................................................................................................................................25 The Business canvas...................................................................................................................................................26 How to set up the organizational structure.................................................................................................27 Marketing........................................................................................................................................................................27 Implementation plan....................................................................................................................................................28-32 renovation phase...............................................................................................................................................28 finishing off phase............................................................................................................................................28 testing phase......................................................................................................................................................28 operating the co-working space................................................................................................................29 Some important points to keep in mind......................................................................................................31 Description of risk factors.........................................................................................................................32 Conclusion of implementation phase.........................................................................................................33 overall conclusion....................................................................................................................................................33 final words.....................................................................................................................................................................34 idoarrt..............................................................................................................................................................................35 Working process...........................................................................................................................................................36

Executive summary The past six weeks of our lifes have been revolving around a little backyard in Wiesbaden, co-working spaces, tools charts and business canvasses. We have been working on a business plan for a community in Wiesbaden that is preparing to open the cities’ first co-working space. In collaboration with Grameen Creative Lab and the community we have come up with a concept we call H10. The name refers to the address of the place Hallgarterstrasse 10. The essence of the concept is a mixture between a co-working space, self-service café, a music studio and a workshop for creative entrepreneurs, musicians, freelancers and students in Wiesbaden. Based on our research these are some keypoints we will recommend our client to integrate. -Make a membership-structure that allows the users to switch between a part time membership and a full time membership -To make a work café that is semi-open for public -To establish a recreational green area in the backyard It will run as a social business, meaning that it exists to address a social need and that all profits are reinvested into the business. The social need is a space that can connect creative people in Wiesbaden, and empower them to follow through on their dream and bring it into reality. By implemting those dreams and visions, they will make 1

Wiesbaden a more dynamic, innovative and creative city. This concept has been designed based on thoroughly researching other co-working spaces, co-workers needs, the market in Wiesbaden, local needs, the communities desire and the stakeholder needs. The boundaries of our concept have been set by the physical frames. By using a wide range of ideation, project management and business tools we got a clearer understanding of the steps that need to be taken and how and how to get there. We have tried to come up with a simple, yet very coherent and implementable concept that will be explained and proved in the following 34 pages.

Introduction

Our client and how we ended up in Wiesbaden

Lisa Beck from our team at the Kaos Pilots became aware of the social business incubator Grameen Creative Lab situated in Wiesbaden a few years ago.

Lisa had initially contacted Grameen Creative Lab to become our client. Grameen Creative Lab (GCL) is a global implementation and communication consultancy founded by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus and the German serial entrepreneur Hans Reitz. 

Lisa, having never thought of her hometown Wiesbaden as being very progressive, was very interested in exploring if there was something emerging in Wiesbaden as well as the concept of social business itself. She contacted Grameen Creative Lab and the connection resulted in a group of Kaos Pilot students consisting of Troels Vejby, Lisa Beck, Troels Jensen, Lui Rosenkrantz and Adrian Adler going to Wiesbaden to make a business plan for a co-working space two months later. The groups attraction towards the project was exploring new ways of working together in a collaborative way, an interest in building valuebased communities and to tap into the phenomenon of social business. What has also motivated individuals of the group is the believe that business is not only a mechanism of generating profits, but can be viewed as an artistic form of expression, a lifestyle, a platform for activism and generally a tool to solve problems in society.

Though operating world wide GCL itself is based in Wiesbaden, Germany. It aims to serve society's most pressing needs by increasing the awareness for social business and by incubating social businesses through creative workshops and academic research. It also consults on setting up social business joint ventures worldwide and takes a more active role though being part of the operation of some of some of them. A social business is defined by the following characteristics: It addresses a social need, the profits stay within the company and are reinvested into the project, no dividend is given in addtion to the investment money while the business is economically sustainable.

This is the lens with which we went into this project. Social Business City Wiesbaden is one of the projects that GCL has initiated. It aims to create a framework for social business in Wiesbaden and to support social business flagship projects.

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In the scope of this project GCL set us in contact with a community that has plans to open a co-working space operated as a social business. This community consists of about 15 friends that met through free church meetings. Most of its members are in their mid- and late twenties and have strong community ties. They frequently host events like concerts, flea markets and public football screenings for their neighborhood. Their aim with hosting the events is to contribute to building a diverse and cohesive local community in their neighborhood while nourishing their own. Five of the community members have rented a house on Hallgarter Str. 10. Those five, with Dominik Hoffman and Albrecht von Schnurbein as primus motors, will operate the co-working space. We will be referring to the five as the core team from now on. In the contract GCL was initially listed as our client. Furthermore the traveling expenses have been covered by GCL. When coming to Wiesbaden and over the course of the project however, they turned out to be more of a mentor, external consultant and key stakeholder, while it became apparent to us that Dominik and Albrecht are the project leaders with the support of the rest of the house. And then there are we. We are five students from The Kaos Pilots, an alternative institution of higher education in the fields of business design, process design and project leadership. Our role in the project has been a hybrid between volunteer students and consultants. Therfore the project has mainly served our learning. Yet we hope to deliver something of value to our client and partners.

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Background for H10 The core team has found the house in the backyard of Hallgarter Str 10, which is a former music studio. They are currently renting four floors in the backyard and one apartment to the front. The 5 of them have renovated the house and are currently living there, while the ground floor remains empty for what this business plan will be about. The initial idea for this place developed out of the vision of the community. In June 2010 the community formulated a short essay about their vision. What they aimed to bring to being with their vision when it first arose was a place where people could meet, could share - their dreams, desires, strengths and weaknesses, be creative and create. Those that would not see their full potential they would help to find it. All this shall be set in a café atmosphere. All this shall happen without a formal hierarchy, to leave room for the individual and the initiative.

the location The location is situated in the backyard of an old brick building  in a young dynamic residential area of Wiesbaden called Rheingauviertel. It has broad cobblestone streets lined with trees, old art nouveau style houses and little cafes and grocery stores. The quarter is not only easily accessible in 15 minutes by the Bus 8 from the city center - or in 5 minutes from the train station, but has also become very popular among young creatives in Wiesbaden. The premises are on the 1st floor in the backyard of Hallgarter Str. 10 and are about 120sqm. The backyard itself measures around another 150sqm. Attached to the two main rooms are a music studio with recording facilities as well as a little workshop.

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H10 the concept The vision Our vision is to establish a co-creation 1space in the backyard of Hallgarter Str. 10. It will be set up as a social business and become a hub for social entrepreneurs and change makers, freelancers, students, artists and purpose driven individuals. H10 strives to become a physical platform in a stimulating and inspiring enviornment from where these people cannot only work from, but also share knowledge, interact with one another, innovate solutions for the future and make ideas grow.

Social business The space itself will be run as a social business.  The social objective H10 is addressing is to empower its users to see and eventually use their full potential and competencies and through that make Wiesbaden a more dynamic city. Furthermore profits will be reinvested into H10 to constantly improve it. Last but not least there is the option of setting up a social business fund. This means that around a year after the opening, if all goes well, 500€ will be put into this fund every month. Supervised by a board of the community-members and employees of GCL it will serve the purpose to spur social business in Wiesbaden.

Open Café & membership co-working area The café will be semi-open to public. This means that those that are aware of the café can come and work from there. They are free to use the café area as well as the backyard. This is especially attractive for students, people with a low budget and those that only want to work from H10 irregularly. The other room will only be open for members. They have the choice between different membership deals – the full time membership which includes access 6 days a week with 24 hours access and costs 150 € pr. month, or 3 days a week membership with limited access and a price of 80 € pr. month. These memberships have a limited number as H10 will make sure that they always provide a seat for their members. The third form of membership2 enables those that are not able to work from the space on regular basis (due to the capacity or their job) to use the skills wall, the workshop and other features. They can also put themselves on a waiting list for a desk. This form requires an application and a one-time donation (which has not further been defined thoughout the business plan)

Self service In order to keep the costs low, the café will be self-service. A professional espresso machine and a manual will guide the citizens on how to make the perfect cappuccino. A limited number of soft drinks as well as snacks will be offered. The prices are listed up and a cash box will wait to be filled. Additionally users can bring their own cakes and snacks and offer them at the counter.

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Mostly through out the report we will use the term co-working. Co-creation has almost the same meaning, only taking the emphasis off the word “work” as in doing something to earn money and replacing it with a more loose term. However in the context of H10 they basically have the same meaning as working is seen in a broader context.

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Throughout this concept we will refer to everyone at H10 as users, whereas paying members will be called members or citizens.

Community based Since the idea came into existence through the community H10 itself will be closely related to the community.  With the core team living in the same building as well as all the other apartments around are inhabited the space is in strong need for growing the community slowly and organically. In spring 2012 it will be community members that invite people to join the space through their extensive network. This ensures that the clientele grows organically and that the core team knows who they are having in their backyard. The community will also use the space for events such as concerts, workshops and lectures in the after hours. Users are encouraged to play a part in it. The members can be asked to take small responsibilities (gardening, showing new users how to make coffee, looking after workshop ect). This we call ministries using a metaphor of the space being a small society where users are citizens and those taking extra responsibilities are ministers. The structure will be put up somewhere so that others are aware of whom to turn to.

Shared services In order to support upcoming entrepreneurs and those that want to become one, H10 has a network of business and social business consultants, lawyers and financial advisors. Regularly, when enough members have signed up, they will show up at H10 to give advice and help the users. The citizens that are using this service will share the cost.

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Platform for sharing Even more than a place to work from, creatives in Wiesbaden are in need of a physical platform to interact and share knowledge on a professional level. H10 will encourage this as much as possible. First of all this is done through the way the space is designed. Moreover there are specific features that can support this. On the wall in the co-working area will be a big citizen board with Polaroid photos of the citizens. Around the pictures, there is room for users to put up their competencies, what kind of support they could need, projects they are currently working on, job offers and searches. Evenmore members can also offer time swapping with others through the wall, so a graphical designer can borrow some hours from a photographer in exchange for doing graphical work him. The citizen board is the formal space that ties the network together. It is where you find out what people are working on and how you can help. It’s where you find out whom to ask for what, and a part from that, its also the channel that spreads the terminology and way of thought of the H10 citizenship. Next to it stands a little table with a desktop. On it not only can the users go online, but there is also a database with contacts, information and references that members can add about them selves if they want to. On the other wall is a library with books. Those books range such as „Project Management – a complete guide“ to „Design fundamentals“. The library is either enhanced by H10 if the budgets allow it or by users bringing along relevant books. A little booklet reveal who borrowed what book.

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Facilities The whole design of the space serves the purpose of underlining and physically supporting interaction between its users, a comfortable place to work from, inspiration and innovation. In order to do so here are some of the simple physical elements that the place should integrate. Also take a look at the blueprints. In generAL A compfortable, non-sterile working enviornment is inviting thoughout the whole space. Long-tables in every room will enable 6-10 people at a time to work at each table. These tables encourage interactions between the users sitting next to each other, but especially across from each other. Outside The backyard should be containing a lot of plants, flowers and trees in big flowerpots. This will not only create a comfortable working atmosphere in the summer time, but can also serve as screen towards the neighbors or other tables. An awning over the two big tables outside enables users to also work when the sun is shining bightly. There is a little wall running on one side of the yard. Along this wall, two big steps of wood create an ideal area for reclining. Over the yard is a wide mashed net of wires spun. It can serve different purposes. They can be used to have plants grow on and green up the yard, to hang up an awning, to put up partition for events or easily hook on decoration. A green house hosts fresh vegetables in pots in the warmer seasons, while in the spring and fall it can extend the possibility to work from outside as there could also be a table put into it.

Appendix:3 + 5

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Café area In the café area there will also be long-tables to work from. On a long counter a professional coffee machine will make it possible for users to brew their own caffe latte. A little lounge area will enable users to relax and work at the same time.

The studio the sound prove studio is fully equipped with recording facilities. Currently it is rented out as a rehearsal space for two bands and can be rented for recording on a daily basis. Members of the space will have a price advantage.

Working area Here more long tables with ergonomic chairs will provide citizens with woking space. The citizen wall will share users interests, needs and competencies. In the library users can borrow relevant literature as well as share it Members also have the advantage of having a locker on the wall where they can store some of their stuff. The meeting room To make the space more appealing on a professional level it will contain a meeting room that are accessible by the members. Externals can also rent the space for meetings if they strive to hold them in an innovative environment. Expansion As a co-working space H10 is meant as a transition space to build up a community and a network that will enable then to move to a much larger space in the area. The community activities will remain in Hallgarter Str.10

The workshop For members, use of the workshop is free of charge. As a non-member you can rent it. It has prototyping facilities for paper, wood and metal and moreover it has a laser printer. The community is considering investing in a 3D printer, to optimize prototyping opportunities. There is the option of only keeping the workshop open at certain hours to make sure that the coworkers aren’t disturbed.

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The VALUE PROPOSITION OF H10 The core value that H10 offers its users is not the office facilities or its cafe. It is the network and the possibilities around it. The following values can also be seen as the USP (unique selling point) of H10. Empowerment & creativity: H10 encourages people to co-create on ideas and projects. Moreover it strives to make its users see their full potential and use it, by both setting a stimulating enviornemt as well as actively making people interact. This could for example be done through workshops and talks at H10 that ensure ongoing professional and personal development. The diverse working methods and professional backgrounds of the individual citizen can also serve as an inspiration. In general we expect H10 to boost the creativity of its users and maybe even the whole scene itself. Network: H10 offers connections to a large group of people through the community. The citizen will moreover get access to a large network of different competencies. The network can also enhance job opportunities. With every new user this network will grow and flourish.

Sharing: Different people mean different skills. Users will get a chance to take advantage of that, and offer their own time in exchange of somebody else’s time through time swapping on the skills wall. Learning how to build up or grow your business and getting ideas further, will be done through sparring with shared consultants and accountants. Moreover there is the possibility of improving your own skills through working with others or getting qualified feedback from them. Users can also dig into new areas of knowledge through this sparring. Eventually citizens acquire skills in using the workshop tools and machines to gain advantages by doing your own prototyping. Flexibility and price: Working from H10 is way cheaper then working from any of the existing officespaces in the area, so users can start in their own pace and will not have to generate huge profits in their start up phase. Members can also easily switch between different memberships, due to their economic situation. Surroundings: Users work in a creative and maybe even thought provoking environment that highlights and encourages all of the values named above. The access to a green recreational area in the backyard also makes it possible for users to leave some of their thought paths behind, and challenge old ideas in the “mids of nature”.

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Market analysis The information gathered in the market analysis is based on research made through interviews of different potential customer segments, visiting other co-working spaces, research made through surveys and interviews by the chamber of commerce and our background knowledge from researching the web. Some of it has been made in collaboration with our client in order to get their perspectives on it and to make sure we cover all essential areas.

Partners In order to build up a valuable network around H10 – one of the core qualities of the co-working space- partners need to be broad on board. In the appendix you will find some potential partners that are already related to the community and/or have shown interest in the project. Appendix 7

the co-working landscape Who are the competitors? Who are the partners? Who will use the space? And why? Competition At this point, there is no co-working space in Wiesbaden running. However, in the past there have been inititives to start up a co-working space in the city. Due to complications -among other difficultieswith finding other venues to scale the business and make profitable the project initiators have discarded the idea. When considering the area of Rhein-Main-Gebiet however, one will find several co-working spaces. In Frankfurt and Darmstadt, both beween 30-40km away from Wiesbaden, there are a few co-working spaces running or starting up. In spite of this, there can be determined a trend of branding more regular and old school office spaces as coworking offices. Appendix 10 12

swot analysis To determine the stengths and weeknesses of H10, we have asked the community and GCL to do a SWOT on it. Moreover we have done one ourselves. All three are mentioning the excisting facilites as well as the network as a strength. Additionally both GCL and we name the low investment and costs as a big plus. All parties see the chance of building up a platform. Both the community and GCL moreover highlight the fact that the concept has already gotten positive feedback. While GCL talks about a general positive trend towards co-working, we focus more on the need in Wiesbaden. When it comes to weaknesses, all three of us are worried about the desicion-making process. Whereas GCL is worried about the scaling of the co-working space due to lack of comparable venues and the strategic positioning by the city in general, the community´s concerns focus more around competitors and the interactions with the landlord. On the other hand we are concerned that the religous background of the community could be concieved wrongly. To conclude on these three SWOTS we can say that while the different parties may have a different focus, we are all aware of the overall tendencies reagarding the advantages as well as disadvantages of H10.

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Global co-working Just in the recent days the current number of co-working spaces worldwide has been estimated around 8201. While the majority of these new collaborative workspaces are in North America, Europe lately caught up with now officially having 341 co-working spaces listed. Co-working spaces bring people, knowledge and skills together. Besides the obvious synergy effect from working among other people, co-workers tend to give each other casual critique of what they see in each others work during the working process. This can have positive influence on the work as well as the process. The average age of coworkers are 34 years old. 54 % are freelancers 20% are entrepreneurs that employ others 20% are permanently employed (most in companies of less then 5 people) 2/3 are men 3/4 of the coworkers work a radius of 10km of where they live2

Community Alex Hillman, cofounder of the famous co-working space Independents Hall in Philadelphia and consultant specialized in co-working, states that one of the biggest mistakes often made when opening a co-working space is the belief that once the physical space is build, the users will come automatically. Just opening the space will rarely determine the success of a coworking space. According to Alex Hillman it is a community and the building of such that makes the space work. “Without a community, a co-working space is just an office”. - Alex Hillman4

Co-working spaces are in general the cheaper alternative to renting a private office and enable freelancers that would otherwise work from home to have a more formal working space. A Survey3 has shown how start-ups are able to lower their rent by more than 50% by joining a coworking space instead of renting an ordinary office.

1 http://www.deskmag.com/en/820-coworking-spaces-worldwide-statistics 2 http://www.deskmag.com/en/the-coworkers-global-coworking-survey-168 3 http://www.deskmag.com/en/coworking-spaces-half-the-cost-of-traditionaloffice-157

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4 http://www.deskmag.com/en/a-coworking-space-without-community-is-just-an-office

Co-workers needs This pyramid is based on Maslow’s hyrachy of needs1. In order to be able to satisfy the needs higher up in the pyramid, the needs at the base of it must be satisfied first.

While the basic needs determined cover the physiological issues of the average co-worker, the safety factor deals with issues most independent workers have. By having variable income and the unpredictability of how business the next month will end up, the users need flexible work facilities so they can adjust their expenses according to their income. This counts especially in times of financial crisis, where 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

external advice is cherished. Additionally to this, the users need to be able to trust the other co-workers in order to feel safe. The next need that co-workers have is called “love and belonging”. They want to belong to a community and be part of a network. Most co-workers value common events and collective projects between members. This also feeds into the next need, esteem. In order to feel part of the community, the co-worker would like to be acknowledged for his or her skills, both hard as well as soft skills. Moreover they enjoy being an active part of the community and therefore having an audience for their projects. The topmost need of the pyramid is Self-actualization. This can be a very personal need to the individual, however it is a good co-working space that can help him or her realize it. On one hand a stimulating environment can bring out the best of its users. On the other, it is the fellow co-workers that, through their feedback and skills, can help the individual to improve in whatever they are doing. Co-workers share knowledge with each other and in the perfect co-working space – they can work according to their values.2 working routine: 40% daily 19% 3-4x a week 16% once or twice a week 15% a few times a month 54% have 24 hr access 31% traditional office hours 1% use half day or evening use The majority use their workspace to carry out short-term projects.  1/4 projects does not go beyond a period of one week.  2/3 of all projects take no more than a month. 2 http://www.deskmag.com/en/what-coworking-spaces-coworkers-want-165

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physical needs Most co-workers (54%) prefer to share a workspace with less than twenty people, while 21% say they work well in a space with up to 50 coworkers. Less than 4% say that they favor a workspace with more than 50 users, whereas the remaining 21% don’t care. Small co-working space might provide greater comforts, where a larger space provides more opportunities because of the greater network. The propensity to work in teams or enjoy better interactions with other people become less as the size of the space increases.3 43% of all co-workers rent a fixed desk which they use exclusively. The remaining 57% are either enjoying or don’t mind using a flexible desk which can be shared with other coworkers. For the majority, an ideal co-working space would have a mixture of open shared working areas, as well as smaller closed rooms for private conversations. Wanted in space: 99% internet 80% printer and copier 76% meeting room 61% cafe  50% kitchen 26% libraries 29% parking spaces4

3 http://www.deskmag.com/en/the-strength-of-small-and-big-coworking-spaces-205

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http://www.deskmag.com/en/what-coworking-spaces-coworkers-want-165

Soft needs Another survey5 on co-working spaces in Berlin, carried out by a Berlin university student, Lukas de Pellegrin, shows that what the members are looking for and appreciate most in the co-working space is the opportunity to interact with other self- employed people. What is more, according to the same source, the mix of different profiles seems to be one of the most important added value. The survey also indicates that in 87% of the co-working spaces at least one project was started in collaboration between co-workers who met in the co-working space. Another survey done by deskmag indicades that 43% of the respondents reported meeting one to three helpful acquaintances, while another  43% have found four or more such connections. Important to users: 86% flexible worktime 86% interactions with people 82% share knowledge 79% value on the random opportunities and discoveries made through interaction 72% price 42% secluded and quite place

External research Wiesbaden: Facts Wiesbaden is the capital of the federal state Hessen, one of Germany’s 16 federal states. With its 275.000 inhabitants, it is the second largest city of the six major cities in the Rhein-Main-Region, with Frankfurt a.M. being the biggest. Rhein-Main-Gebiet itself is the second largest metropolitan area in Germany. The area is well-established through banking, trade and logistics. It’s infrastructure is one 5 http://www.entrepriseglobale.biz/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/CoworkingEUropeSurveyFinal.pdf

of the best developed of Germany – with Frankfurt Airport being the biggest in the country as well as the motorway system and the high speed rail line running through Frankfurt. The distance between Wiesbaden and Frankfurt is 40 km, while Mainz, capital of the federal state Rheinland-Pfalz, and Wiesbaden are basically touching each other, only separated by the Rhein river.

Different fields

The historic spa city is known for gambling, its beautiful architecture and its landscape. Though it holds annual theater and film festival it is not in particular known for its culutral scene. The creative industry in Wiesbaden Due to the target groups our client has presented as well a little pre research we did in Wiesbaden we have decided to focus on the creative industry in Wiesbaden as the supergroup of our customer segment. Therefore we have focused on this sector in both our online and literature research as well as the field study. In the year 2009 around 6000 people were employed in the creative industry in Wiesbaden. This makes up around 4% of the 150.000 Wiesbadeners in total. 4 % of all businesses that are liable for VAT (that have a turnover higher than 17.500 € per year) in Wiesbaden are from the creative industry – which makes up 1600 companies.6 These numbers do not include freelancers. We have no specific numbers on them, however indirectly we are able to draw conclusions. 9,6% of all creative industries in Rhein-Main-Gebiet are situated in Wiesbaden, while only 7% of all industries of the Rhein-Main area are set in Wiesbaden. This is in contrast to the fact that there is a relatively low proportion of employees in Wiesbaden. Therefore, these numbers could be interpreted in the way that there are a disproportionally high number of freelancers working in the city. 6

Kreativcluster in Wiesbaden und der Rhein-Main-Region, market analysis written by order and account of the state capital Wiesbaden, carried out by the center for cluster and competitiveness, (supply chain management institute SMI & European Business School EBS)

the other markets that are included in the creative industry, listed after their size, biggest to smallest: Book Press Architecture Film Music Art Performing Arts Broadcasting Visual Arts

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Advertisement makes the highest turnover in the creative sector in Wiesbaden with 4,18 million € per company, followed by the design market with 1,7 million € and the press with 1,3 million €.

Appendix 13 Clustering There is already a tendency for some of the industries to merge into so-called clusters. A cluster is a regional concentration of organizations and institutions that are directly or indirectly linked to one another and operate in similar economic domains. New competitors, constantly challenge organizations that are already part of a cluster. This prevents consolidation, and therefore boosts innovation and new creative concepts. Apart from that, clustering has a positive influence on the regional distribution value chain and makes companies more productive. Even though clusters seem to appear here and there, 19

30% of all organizations interviewed for the survey are having troubles finding partners from the creative industry. Hessen and Wiesbaden support the cluster tendency and believe that it spurs the growth of the industry on a local level and could enable the creative industries get a national impact.

Attractiveness of the region for creatives 90% of the interviewees of the online survey review the Rhein-MainGebiet as attractive or even very attractive. This is 5% more than Hamburg or Munich and makes the area the most attractive German area for creatives. This is due to the areas unique infrastructure (the region is one of the most reachable in the country), the quality of life in the area, the high spending capacity and the positive employment trend. When asking into different qualities of Wiesbaden however, only 50% believe that the cultural scene in Wiesbaden is appealing. When asked about the attractiveness of the innovative milieu of the city, only 30% report to be content with it. These figures are problematic as they determine the picture of the creative industry in Wiesbaden – especially to the outside. The chamber of commerce is aware of this image problem Wiesbaden has and is therefore interested in solutions that could have a positive influence 62% of the respondents would like to have a communication platform for exchange, interaction and support of cooperation between creative agencies in Wiesbaden. This also confirms the fact that while 75% of the respondents say they cooperate often to very often with other companies within their own fields, there is very little multidisciplinary interaction between the different creative fields in Wiesbaden.

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Needs of target groups Dominik Hoffman identified three target groups that H10 wants to attract. Addionally to the defintions below he highlighted that the targeted users should also have a tendency of being purpose driven or even searching for a higher purpose. 1. Students of creative schools A student at the FH design school in Wiesbaden. 2. The aspiring entrepreneur: A young entrepreneur that has recently started up a business. We also considered people that are currently employed, but are planning to start their own business within the near future. 3. The freelancer A freelancer in the creative industries or a consultant. After identifying these three segments we tracked down around 40 people who fitted the description. The students and the entrepreneurs we took through a questionnaire and for the freelancer we made qualitative interviews with individuals to maximize our learning experince. The creative student: -Our findings refer to the appendix 10 The majority of the creative students expect to leave Wiesbaden after ending their studies, and move to bigger creative hot spots like Berlin, Hamburg and other European metropolises. Networking On average students rate themselves around 5 out of 10 on their ability to network professionally in Wiesbaden. Their main spots for networking are their school, on parties, groups, at the school library and on the web through blogs and facebook. 21

A minority mentions a sound venue and alternative hang out called Schlachthof as a good place for creative people to network. Non of them was able to name a physical and more formal place in Wiesbaden to network at. Almost all of the students respond that they are interested in new opportunities for networking. Work habits The majority of the students work on projects besides their schoolwork. The projects vary from volunteer church summer camps to graphical work for external bureaus. The range of the projects differs from less than a week to several years, and vary a lot in workload. They primarily work from school, at home or at friends places. Around half of the students complain about bad working conditions at their school. Sharing workspace All of the students responds that they are open to share workspace with others Many were worried about the noise level from musicians, but most liked the idea of interacting with other creative people that have different backgrounds. Needs for a functional workspace: Their core needs in a full membership model with fixed desks are big displays, good printers, scanners, good light, silent zones and design magazines. Apart from that, students would find it cool if the workspace had a feeling of home, was full of plants, had a chill-out area and regularly hosted parties. Pricing Most of the students are able to pay between 0 – 25 € during their studies. However once they graduated and are working, they state to be willing to pay 150 – 350 € depending on their earnings.

Sum Up The students want a workspace with a nice atmosphere, but won’t be able to pay much for subscriptions during their studies. However they can contribute with engagement and cultural capital. If H10 succeeds in integrating and merging the creative students in Wiesbaden it might have the ability to make some students stay in the city after ending their studies, thus contributing to the continuous growth of Wiesbaden as a center for creativity in the region. .

Pricing On average an aspiring entrepreneur is willing to pay 150€ – 250 € for a full time membership. sum up This target group is essential to H10. Entrepreneurial spirit is at the core of what H10 stands for. As many of the respondents are in the process of making their first start up it is essential to offer shared service consultants. Moreover low costs are appealing to them especially in the startup phase.

The aspiring entrepreneur: Networking On average the aspiring entrepreneurs rate their ability to network in Wiesbaden 6 out of 10. Their main channel for networking are online through Xing and Facebook and through friends they went to university with. All of them point out the need for better options of networking on a professional level locally. Workhabbits Most of the interviewees had their own office. Others were still employed and worked from their companies’ office facilities. Many mentioned that they often worked from cafés or from home. Sharing of workspace All except one are open for shared workspace. They where particularly interested in the doors it could open regarding networking with other entrepreneurs. Needs for a functional workspace The interviewees did not have any needs out of the ordinary, but many emphasized the importance of good coffee, snacks, light and plants.

The Freelancer: Through qualitative interviews with freelancers in Wiesbaden we discovered that you can divide the freelancers in three groups based on their work habits. 1. Works mostly from clients office The freelancer that mainly works from his client has all the basic necessities he needs to work covered from there, but often lacks the sense of belonging to the organizational cultures he works in. For many of these, a space where they can work a few hours a week would be attractive. 2. Works from home The person that works from home values the saved costs it gives her, but often finds it hard to separate work and spare time. One described the distance from her bed to her computer in the morning as a 10 km trip uphill to work because it was so demotivating to work from where she lived. For this sub group a shared space to work from is extremely attractive, as long as their need for flexibility and the price is proportional to 22

the rent they are paying at home.

Conclusion on market Analysis

3. Shares an office The freelancer that shares an office has his basic needs for working covered. In cities like Wiesbaden they are often sharing office facilities with one or two others. These independent workers are mostly sharing the facilities, their is not much exchange going on when it come to contacts. Working in these small offices the need of diverse feedback on projects and expansion of their networks is rarely met.

H10 is no first mover but there is no real competition in Wiesbaden. While there are some co-working spaces situated in the Rhein-MainRegion, we don’t see them as a threat to H10 as 75% of the average co-workers are living in a radius of 10 km to where they work from. The library and Starbucks may offer a free place to work from with internet access or even more features, however what they do not offer is a network around it. This also goes for Startblock which just offers the location for low rent.

NEEDS & pricing of freelancers Freelancers are primarily very mobile and do not have any needs that are out of the ordinary for an office space, but shared services such as accountants and the opportunities for learning are valued.

As for partners the community already has a broad network build up, both regarding users and supporters. Particularly the good relations with GCL, which is very well connected in the city, and the approval from representatives of the city are valuable.

They are ready to pay between 150 € and 250 € for full time access, but wants to have the opportunity to have the option of downgrading or upgrading their memberships.

A community is crucial to the success of a co-working space if you believe Alex Hillman, and it is a need of co-workers in general. From this perspective H10 is already starting on the right track.

In general the freelancers are a group that is very fragile towards fluctuations in the market, so the main emphasis is on offering flexible solution that enables them to adjust their expenses to their income.

When looking at the needs that the three determined target groups have expressed, a functioning workspace is the first priority. Moreover all three segments have mentioned light, plants and a comfortable (café) atmosphere as essential. A meeting room that they can occupy with a client has been mentioned as well and has been listed in the world wide coworking survey as the 3rd most important physical facility. The flexibility of working hours becomes especially interesting to freelancers. What seems to be the USP of H10 is the network however. In the worldwide study 86% of co-workers value interactions with other users, 82% enjoy sharing knowledge and 79% value especially those random connections and discoveries they made through interactions. Though they cooperate often to very often with other companies within their own fields, there is very little interaction between the different clusters in Wiesbaden.

Sum up of the target group research To sum up the needs of H10s taget groups are a space that can connect people in the creative industries, yet is still open for people from other fields. The creatives in Wiesbaden are in general interested in sharing a workspace with others. The common requirements are basic office facilities, a green environment full of light and plants. They are searching for a space that emphasizes networking and collaboration, feedback with a calm yet energetic and stimulating atmosphere. It should be informal yet functional and serve the best coffee in town.

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When you then take into account that 86% of world wide coworkers claim to have made at least one helpful connection and 87% have at least collaborated on one project with a fellow co-worker, the importance the network aspect could play for H10 becomes clear. A conclusion we can draw from this research is that even though Wiesbaden seems to be pretty attractive for creatives, the innovative environment of the city is definitely developable. With its high economic performance in the creative sector and its solid number of creative freelancers, Wiesbaden has all perquisites to have an international standing. However it is lacking the innovative and creative milieu to do so. This is also supported by the fact that most respondents we have interviewed in Wiesbaden rate themselves as average when it comes to their ability to network professionally in Wiesbaden, the potential the city has on this level is by far not exhausted.

It shows even more in the 62% of the interviewees (of the study comissioned by the chamber of commerce) that wish for a platform for creatives to network on in Wiesbaden. That the city is aware of this need and is also supporting it, we have not only found out through the studies they have commissioned but also experiences first hand through talks with representatives. One of the highest, yet least pressing needs a co-worker has is to bring out the best in him- or herself, to use his/her full potential. This is also a goal that has been formulated by the community in their formulated vision. If this platform could be established and there could be a possibility to integrate students in it, there is a chance that they, after their studies will remain in Wiesbaden. This would be of great value to the future development of Wiesbaden.

As for the price, we can see a difference in what the three target groups are able or willing to pay. While both the entrepreneur as well as the freelancer are willing to pay between 150€-250€, the average student is without means. While they would like to use the facilities and be part if the network, students are rarely able to pay for it. This makes it apparent that if students are supposed to become part of regular user of the space, there needs to be a different solution of how to integrate them.

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Budgets Here are some word to the budget. Appendix 18-22 Turnover and expenses Our general income is primarily generated through two features: the lease of desk space and the sale of drinks, supported by a few minor posts. What is remarkable is that our general income is way higher then our expenses. This is mainly because of the low rent. The H10 community is very privileged. Regarding this in case business doesn’t run as well as expected the chance of an economical ruin is close to zero. H10 can be a sustainable business with only 30% of the actual estimated contribution from the café or without the four more permanent desk leased. Therefore H10’s economics are in basic healthy and very robust to external factors. Operational budget As the H10 generate a relatively high surplus based on the primary expenses and turnovers we have the possibility of introducing three elements to improve the product (see concept for more details): -Additional workspace in an empty apartment -courses, workshop and lectures - the social business fond While some of these need a higher investment they would add value to H10. They are all really cool contributions to the final concept but not necessary.

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What is also worth taking notice of is the low variable cost. Since the business structure is fairly simple we only considered the drinks are variable. Though extensive use of H10 the electricity usage will rise, however we believe that through sustainable handling, the costs can be kept on a resonable level. Cash flow and establishment Due to various construction and establishment costs in the initial phase H10 is in need of 20.000 €. The community around H10 could be potential borrowers. This loan will then not to be paid back with interest. Neither does it have to be paid back within a tight time frame. Therefore the cash in the cash flow budget appears to be in minus. The payback of the loan will begin after the break even in September 2012. All in all the economical situation seem good. In spite of a seemingly continues minus on the cash flow due to the loan H10 in nowhere near a economical bankruptcy in our budget.

Fixed cost: Insurence, gas, heating, internet. Rent: Fascilities, printer, Maintenance: Building, furniture, Services: Cleaning, accountants, marketing

Business canvas The business canvas has been made in cooperation with Dominik from H10, as a merge of our ideas, the market research as well as background knowledge. The main reason for using the business canvas was to create an overview over their business. What we got in an early stage of the project, was the three customer segments determined by the community, and the key-resources, which where already existing at H10.

Community feeling. Creativity.

Word of mouth. Invite of specific members. Small campains for events.

3 segments (see markedanalysis) Community Local neighboorhood Creative business

Lease: desks, music-studio, machinery, "boxes" and café-space. Selling drinks and snacks from café. Hosting events/workshops.

Knowledge/ idea sharing. Networking Empower people Magic Exclusivity.

Under key-partners, we have listed all the local partners needed to cover the needs of our 3 customer segments, and apart from that, we have found a lot of possible knowledge- and network-suppliers who will enable H10 to expand their network. Regarding channels and customer relationships we have been aware of the need for privacy for the community already living at H10. The key-activities and key-resources are closely combined, as they describe what activities H10 will focus on, and what resources/ facilities it will require to make them happen. In general the business canvas has been used to check back on out research and concept as well as a tool to easily talk from with out client. This helped us to validate the concept. However we have used it less during the process of coming up with the concept.

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Marketing Channel

How to set up the organizational structure

The only marketing channel that H10 will use is word of mouth. This is due to two major reasons:

Based on the research, especially the SWOT analysis done by the different parties, we have figured out that the organizational structure is very essential in order to make the whole project work.

1. The community, especially the core team, is worried about having too many strangers in the backyard 2.the capacity of the space is very limited In the early phase people will be invited to come to the space. Those that find out about the space are able to visit it and use the cafe. However only if they have been invited and applied for a membership can they have a more permanent desk solution or use the citizen wall. Moreover there will be no sign on the street promoting the space in any way. Though there may only be one marketing channel there are more marketing activities going on. More and more people will find out about it, perhaps because of the regular events such as concerts, flea markets or lectures that are taking place and are being more actively promoted. These events can therefore indirectly be seen as a marketing activity for H10. Through this very limited marketing H10 builds up a very exclusive, almost underground atmosphere around itself. This vibe - maybe even hype- can serve as a means of marketing itself. Eventually, the kick-off party might be the biggest marketing activity. If set up in the right way, it will not only draw the customers to the party itself but will be talked about for a while.



While the community has been a major part of the vision and will remain very essential to H10, it is the core team that should be making the decisions. The community can be integrated in ideation phases and be part of finding the right solutions, however we strongly advice the core team to have the last word when it comes to making a decision. This is not only because it makes things easier, especially when quick decisions are needed, but also because we had the impression that at least some of the community members are not that interested in making these decisions and being responsible for them. Moreover Abi and Dominik should be seen as the project leaders. The organization could be set up in away that they are (legal) representatives. They would then represent the community and especially the core team as good as possible where ever necessary. H10 should be set up in a way that the co-working space will rent the facilities from the community. In that way the community can have a say in what will happen to the location, however they are not directly engaged into the business itself. Overall it becomes very difficult to put up any kind of formal organizational structure around H10 as the ties between friendship, free church, business and extended network are very fluid. Additionally we have noticed that there is a tendency in the community to disapprove any form of hierarchy. Therefore we have tried to paint the picture of the core team, with Dominik and Abi as representatives, are setting the frames, whereas the community is acting within them.

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Implementation plan One thing is to come up with a coherent concept. In order to put it into practice however, it needs milestones and a more concrete plan of how and when to tackle and implement it. Therefore we have put together a rough sketch of how the next month may look. We have divided the time into 4 phases:

Renovation Phase: June 2011 – August 2011 As of today, we are entering a phase in which the ground floor of H10 will undergo quite some changes. A design team closely related to the community will plan out how to set up the whole interior as well as exterior. Eventually the community will renovate the entire interior of the space up to a point where it is ready to be furnished. The renovation may drag a bit into the next phase, however the major works should be done by September. Renovating the place themselves, the community will draw of its network wherever it is possible. Not only to save money but also to start the space in the right culture, they will co-create what will become a co-creation space.

Finishing off phase: September 2011 -December 2011 In this period most construction-work should be done. While there is still some minor building to be done, the space can slowly be reopened for evening gatherings. It is continuously brought to life while the rooms are slowly being refurnitured with finding from the flea market, second hand stores and self made furniture. Responsibilities can be divided in the core team. Who will look into the legal stuff? How should the internet access be handled? Ground

rules and opening times can be discussed. How will the social business fund be set up? Who will be part of the board? How shall it be operated? These are questions that could be tackled with the help of GCL. Further expanding of the network, partners, supplies and resources could additionally be a good focus point of this phase.

Testing Phase: January 2012- March 2012 Now that the space is renovated and furnished, it is time for the community to actively start using it. What works? What doesn’t? How should the furniture be rearranged? What could be changed? How does the citizen wall work? This phase should be seen as a testing and experimenting phase for the community in an informal setting. It can be done through working from the space and just using it frequently. Weekly gathering of the community, but especially the core team could be used as a forum to evaluate and reflect upon these questions and the present events. Both failures and success’ should be recorded in an early phase and there should be a way to evaluate in a later stage if learnings have been implemented. It is a good idea to build up a methodology around this that will not only make it easier for the community members to communicate from, but also set a certain tone for the culture that will be imbedded in H10. Moreover this phase should be used to actively start thinking about who to invite as initial citizens. Consciously building up a bigger network, the kick-off can be promoted towards individuals. This can also be done through a series of regular events such as concerts or workshop in the location.

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When leaving this phase the community already has a detailed plan for what to do and when to do it. This plan includes a schedule covering all repetitive and all major events. And then at some point in late March, early April it is time to finally kick it off properly. The party has been carefully planned in the previous weeks by a party committee. What is it H10 wants to communicate with the event? Who do you want to communicate it to? And how? The right people have been invited, all preperations have been made, and the weather shows itself form its best side, then it’s time to celebrate big time! We recommend the community to schedule it so that the Kaos Pilots can join the party of the year before they leave for Bogotá ;) Operating the co-working Space: April 2012 and on The fundament is set, things have been prototyped, tried over and over again. Now it is time to get into business. With its member base constantly growing, the core team can slowly estimate the turnover after a couple of month. Are there too few users? Do they need to make more promotion? Or is it actually too full? Opening hours and rules can be adjusted. The core members should still use a weekly meeting for reflections and decisions. But as time goes by this could be made into a monthly routine. After some months the core team will review the budgets together with GCL. How much profit is the place making? What is needed to be reinvested into the space and is it realistc to put 500€ into the social business fund every month? If all goes well, after about a year the first social businesses can be supported. 29

And then after a year or two the co-working is running so well that the space gets limited. Now there is the possibility to expand the co-working to a bigger location. This will be done by Dominik and Albrecht. They will search for a new location, possibly with the help of the municipality. They will revise their existing co-working space and set up a new business plan to fit the needs. In this case the community will remain in Hallgarter Str.10.

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Some important points to keep in mind First of all it is of crucial importance that the community will use the existing positive energy as a momentum to get things done.

This applies to the working method, as well as working language, efficiency and energy. It will define the culture of H10. Also the initial steps for creating formal an informal structure can be created here.

A key element of making the working process as positive as possible is communication. Easily said, but very difficultly implemented it is worth trying to build up a common language around H10. This should from the beginning be supported by visualizations such as a welldesigned Gantt diagram placed in the hallway to have a very clear and visual plan of the construction process. Defining very clear ends and beginnings and further responsibilities and required resources could ease up the communication within the group. We are emphazising this as an unclear communication at the beginning of long-term processes often leads to confusion and disagreements within groups. Due to all the new implementations things will propably still be very messy. Therefore, everything that ease up the communication within the community and towards potential users, neighbours and residents would be positive.

Besides the actual renewal, an important element is to have a more or less continues flow of events after the renovation is done. This will first of all keep the place running and maintain or even expand the network.

Preparations to protect the privacy, both for neighbours and residents, must be executed as the first priority. The whole rennovation of the workspaces and the use of the yard should be done regarding this priority. Sharpening up of the physical frames and hosting the events should be seen in a team building perspective. Using a DIY (do it yourself) approach to this phase can both be cheap and also establish ownership for future users. The trial and error process should be highly valued. The community can test things off and see what they approve as elements of success. According to Stein1 it is in this primal stage that cultures are created. What later will have an important role in the further life of the project. 1

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Stein: ”Organizational Culture and Leadership”chapter 3

Before the actual launch of the co-working space very detailed preparations for daily business must be made. Responsibilities, timeplaning and formal roles must be obvious for everybody already involved in the project. All learning’s and experiences gathered from this and the previous phase should be taken into consideration for the preparations of the coming phase. The reason why we recommend postponing the official opening until the spring, is to be able to use the exterior space for events during the start up phase as well as the chance of using the months prior to prototype.

Description of risk factors While we are painting an ideal picture in the implementation plan we are aware of the fact that things can and mostlikely will go wrong. To reduce the cosequences we have tried to reduce the risk factors in the concept. These are the remaining risk factors we have determined throughout the different phases: 1. Privacy of residents and neighbors is not protected 2.Not being able to maintain a positive energy level 3.Not implementing learnings 4.Unclear agreements on organisational structure 5.Not enough users 6.Budgets are not adding up once running 7.Mixing up community events with co-working In the following graph you can see a risk map of how likely we see the risks to happen and how consequential we rate them. The rating is based on all the research and work we have done.

Not having enough users and the risk that the budgets are not working out is quite low, both in probability based on the research we have done and consequence, since the running costs are quite low and there are already community members who want to use the space. Though we rate the chance that the energy level will drop is low, the consequences would be high as it is the community and the soft skills that keep the whole project together. Therefore this is a risk to be aware of but not worry too much about. A factor to keep an eye on already during the early renovation phase is how to maintain the privacy for both neighbors and core members. What rules should be put up? How should violations be handled? How to integrate the direct neighbors and how to deal with complains? An openness is required towards the residents – both in the communication as well as towards critique. 3 and 4 are both more or less addressing the organisational structure. It is important to be concious of how the decision-making process is put up. Who is in charge of putting things into practice? How to handle disagreements within the community, and within the core team?2 The last important point is to make sure that the community activities, especially the church activities but also concerts and potential political gatherings, are not mixed up with the daily co-working business. This doesn’t mean that the community should hide their faith to anyone. But in order to display a professional image there must be drawn some kind of line. This can be important to citizens working from the space as they professionally cannot take a stand – be it religiously or politically- if this could alienate clients and partners. That said, the community can of course host gatherings and events in H10 after hours as long as they are able to send a clear signal that this is not directly connected to the daily co-working business. 2

this also refers to “how to set up the oragizational structure, page 27

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Conclusion of the implementation plan Due to the limited time we had on this project we have not been able to go into detail about the steps that have to be done until spring 2012. However with this rough sketch of the steps we see as necessary and additional points as well as the concept we hope it brings the community a step closer to realizing H10. By mapping out the risks in the concept we have developed, we hope to reduce the likeliness of them to actually occure. We will recommend the core team to sit down as a first thing and map out in detail what needs to be done in the different phases.

Overall conclusion This is our Business plan for H10. Based on our market research we see a strong need in Wiesbaden for a co-working space. This need goes even beyond the target groups that have been defined. The way we have designed the concept is based on both the original plan to start a co-woking business, as well as the needs and wishes of the community around it. A certain openness as well as the awareness of the fine line between professional and private is required in order to make this work. Moreover we see the community that is already existing as a big asset for creating such as space. Strong community ties do not only drive this project forward but are also a great foundation for the culture of this place. Due to the fact that we define the network and its soft values as the USP of H10, the cultural aspect becomes even more important. As we see it is the right culture and an awareness of that will make H10 successful – or not. Expanding the co-working space at a later point on a more professional level we see as a big chance for both the core team as well as for the city itself. The learning that has by then been done in H10 will then add an even greater value to it. Building up H10 on a very high trust level, both regarding the payment system as well as other issues, has been a decision we have made due to wishes the community has brought forward as well as the fact that at least in the beginning there will not have to be anyone employed full time. We are aware that there is also a risk involved but due to the organic growth of the memberbase through the community we are not too concerned about it. However if this turns out not to be working successfully, adjustments of course have to be made.

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We are aware that our business plan by far does not cover all aspects and doesn’t go into detail. Nor have we been able to cover all the important points as we would have liked to. It is also clear that the budgets are not very detailed for various reasons. Even more, you might have suspected something more “crazy”. So did we. This might indicate that we have tried to make a business plan that serves the given needs and is implementable. There is points in the contract like a CO2 neutral which we have totally disregarded in the business plan. This is due to the fact that once we came to Wiesbaden we realized that this was unrealistic in the scope of the project. We would like to repeat at this point that though we stepped into the project as consultants we are mainly students in the process of learning how to set up a business and a business plan with it. Any feedback that can move us - as a group or individually- forward is highly valued. Eventually we hope that we brought the project forward with it and that in one way or another this business plan can be helpful to all parties involved.

final words The world is changing in a faster pace than ever. Nowadays jobs are not that easily explained as more and more people make their own jobs. As part of the self-realization, more people do their own thing as freelancers or entrepreneurs and offer their competencies to individuals or organizations. This segment has the same social needs as people who work within organizations but they don’t want the hierarchical structures and bureaucracy that comes with a day job. Moreover the past three years economic turmoil have changed many things. They have among other things challenged the way we work together. We have moved closer together to use our resources more efficiently. Both the physical resources and the ones we see in each other. Those two elements are partly the reason why we see a growth rate of more than 100 percent a year in co-working spaces. They offer a new generation a way of working that is consistent with the lifestyle they want. Connectedness, niche community, individuality and selfrealization are some of the factors that determine this lifestyle. In general there can be determined a trend from a reductionist1, competive world view towards a more integrative, holistic and cooperative one. In some way it is paradoxical that a generation that has been defined by it’s strong sense of individualism is gathering in professional collectives. Maybe all this is an indication of a shift in values and eventually a paradigm shift? We will see. 1

Fritja Capra, The web of life

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We did this IDOARRT with the community and GCL in our intital meeting in Hallgarter Str. It is up to the individual to judge how far we have succeed with our business plan.

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IDoARRT Intention:

Building community of value focused entrepreneurs Additional man & brainpower Kick off for 100m development Bring together arts, creativity & business Create new ideas for Wiesbaden Learning

Desired Outcome:

a sustainable and innovative business plan A platform for social business A holistic, creative and realistic concept for the rooms Documentation

Agenda:

collaboration Research Business forecast BBQ

Roles:

Kaospilots= students + consultants GCL= key stakeholders + mentors Community = client

Rules:

stay light Be honest Be aware Have fun !

Time:

KP departure from Wi. around 25.05 Business plan delivered first week into June



Working process

Quite early in the process we got aware of our very different personalities and the clashes this was leading to. Based upon this and with the wish of a good process we made a team contract which was to become the fundament for our groupwork. Some of the head points in the contract are: Think ahead. Act now!, Don’t show it tell it and if you need it eat it! and Be aware why!. The contract was an attempt to start a common understanding of work methods and group culture, and the way this worked out in pracise was by use of instant feedback and evaluations along the way. These are some tools we have used throughout the process: Team contract – to build a common platform for the work and group culture Roles defined by ministries – to divide the roles and delegate responsibilities Active calendar – to keep track of ‘’to do’s’’ and have a productive workflow IdoARRT – as a kickstart for the project when we arrived to make sure the three parts where on the same page Game Plan – to keep track of the desired outcome and seperate the goal into smaller tasks SWOT – to map out strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats from both the community, GCL and us. Business Canvas – to keep track of the subject of matter and desired outcome for the community and GCL Crazy Brainstorm – an ideation tool with the outcome of two concept drafts to present for the client and afterward work on with Risk map - to determine possible risks and how consequential they could be to the project

Dropbox – to share the work and keep track of files Shared facebook group – for links and inspiration Rotating facilitator – to keep meetings on the right track and get a flow of different working methods Visual documentation – the process and work has been documented in pictures and uploaded in dropbox a long the way, as a reminder of what we have been through and when we did it Collaboration with client In our preproject phase we have had a number of skype meetings with Daniel from the community and with our contact person Daniel from GCL to get closer to what they expected from us and what they would be able to contribute with themselves. When we arrived we facilitated an IDoARRT with the community and GCL which showed that our understanding of the project was very similar. Throughout the project we have had meetings with GCL and Dominik from the community to make sure we were on the right track. However, it was not until we presented our first concepts draft two weeks after arrival that we got aware of the conflicts there were in the community concerning the desired outcome of the actual space. Apparently an IDoARRT was not enough to bring us on the same level or to get everybody to speak up, so it might have been a good idea to make personal interviews with the different people in the community or would have presented a concept draft in an earlier stage of the process.

Moreover we have used the following to make the process more smooth as well as document it. 36